


Nothing Civil About A War

by starkind



Series: This Is It Boys, This Is War [1]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), DC Cinematic Universe, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Civil War (Marvel), Crossover Pairings, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Constipation, IronBat - Freeform, Light Angst, M/M, Male Slash, One Shot, Post-The Dark Knight Rises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-15 15:20:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7227751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkind/pseuds/starkind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Bruce Wayne was involved in the events revolving around the Sokovia Accords?<br/>What if Tony Stark was counting on him to pick the right side?<br/>What if there was no right side to begin with?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little snippet that has been running around in my head for a couple of days. Having cried many tears over Tony Stark during and after CA:CW, but not having watched BvS, I strictly am playing with/in Nolanverse here (as usual).

A black sedan sped through the cold and misty London night.

In its back, hidden behind a partition wall and tinted windows, two men sat far apart from each other on the wide, black leather bench _._ “Thought you of all people would understand.” At the first words spoken between them ever since their drive from the cemetery, the other man frowned. “This isn't as easy as you try to picture it.”

From where Tony's hand rested in between them on the seating space, his fingers clenched into a fist. "I never said it was easy. It's not getting easier. And definitely not getting better.” His companion turned his head to look at his profile. "You're being melodramatic." Furious brown eyes found his. "The Accords need to happen! I can't believe you're trying to talk me out of it. You're as bad as Rogers!”

At that Bruce Wayne glared back at him, bearded jaw set tight. "I stood by your side all those years. Don't act like that means nothing." When he made a move to reach out for his hand, Stark drew back with vigor. "I have a hard time remembering the last time you made me feel understood, though.” Bruce opened his mouth, only to close it and swallow. His gaze flickered out of the window to his right.

“Now you're just unfair. I came along today, just for you.” For a second, Tony looked heartbroken. “Yeah, you did. Funny how that works. Yet another funeral I wasn't invited to to begin with, but... yeah.” His clandestine lover of almost a decade, and the man who had left his hometown and everything in Gotham City behind, tried for rationality one more time.

“Tony...”

Stark raised a palm in between them, almost like a barrier, and shook his head. “That's always been a point of contention between us, hasn't it? The fucking secret identity stuff.” His goatee morphed into a pained grimace. “But what about accountability – do I still have it when I let a goddamn city drop upon innocent people, huh? Do you even know what it's like to have blood on your hands?”

A faint, ringing sound interrupted Bruce from answering. Finger held up, Tony dug in the inside pocket of his black suit and pressed his phone onto his ear; the one opposed from the man by his side. “Stark. Yes, okay, put him through...”

The words Tony spoke morphed into a monotone murmur that Bruce did not listen to, too caught up in trying to shake the explosions from his mind, that night Rachel Dawes had died at the hands of the Joker, almost eight years ago. Some rustling to his left eventually shook him out of his stupor. Tony's face was a set of tight angles and shapes, enhanced by the faint street light that rushed past outside.

“That was the Secretary of State. I gotta head for Berlin as of tonight.” While Stark started typing into his phone, Bruce had to force himself from gnawing on his bottom lip. “You once told me you wouldn't trust Ross after what happened to Banner. So much for accountability.” Tony nodded; now wearing a sarcastic tug around the grim line that had become his mouth.

“Tough love, Brucie. Still, no matter what: The UN conference in Vienna is going to ratify the Accords in less than two days.”  
It was then that the Gothamite's face shut down and became an emotionless mask.  
“This is the start of something you cannot control.”

Tony rubbed at the spot under his suit where the reactor used to sit, and exhaled a couple of times.

“So what? You're leaving me if I stand up for what's right? Because your own vigilante ego doesn't operate well under rules? Because you think you're above the law? Because you feel superior to anybody else? Fucking think again, Prince of Gotham. Or should I say: Ex-Prince of Gotham, who now hides away in Europe because he wouldn't want to deal with the consequences of his actions?”

At that, Bruce leaned over to press a button that connected him with their driver via radio comm.

“Please let me out at the next possible stop.”

Stark's eyes narrowed in anger.

“If you do this now, don't bother coming back.”

A click of a safety belt being unbuckled.

“Good night, Tony.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might get a second chapter sometime soon, if these boys can figure things out..  
> Thanks for reading :)


	2. Chapter 2

The signal was faint, but Bruce got it nonetheless.

Being in Europe might make for some minor connectivity problems, but at least the interface was spyware-free. The code was an old one, but he recognized it immediately. There was only one person in the world who would be intent on using it.  
  
Tony. Tony was hurt and in pain.  
Enough for him to reach out to Bruce, despite the rift between them.  
Enough for Bruce to go and dig out the Bat from its secret hiding place.  
  
Destination Siberia.

He arrived at the snow-covered HYDRA complex less than two hours later. The cold clawed at his Batsuit, but he did not have to walk far to get inside the wreckage underground. When the tracker led him to the source, Tony sat on the ground, propped up against a concrete collar, eyes closed. Blood and bruises were dominating his face, together with the first signs of frostbite on his cheeks.

His helmet lay crushed and mangled a couple of feet away, and the reactor in his chest was cut in two, dark and not glowing. With a glimpse at the shield on the floor, Bruce leaned in to check for a pulse on cold skin. It prompted Tony to blink his eyes open, confused at first, then part relieved. “Cavalry's here. Faster 'n I thought.” Bruce frowned at a broken blood vessel that had turned one of Tony's eyes crimson.  
  
“Can you walk? We need to get you out of here.”  
The suit gave a few ill-sounding whirrs as Stark struggled.  
“Might.”  
  
A shaky gauntleted finger pointed at the two marred items in front.  
  
“Take these for me, will ya?”

In the end, the Batman had to support most of Stark's deadweight as he hoisted his semi-conscious form into the backseat of the Bat. His knee protested sharply underneath the Nomex, but Bruce ignored it and set course for his current hideout. By the time they arrived in Camogli, a small fishing village on the Italian Riviera, Tony was out cold.

* * *

The smell of the ocean, mowed grass, and faint bird chirping sounds woke him.

With a pain-filled grunt, Tony began to move under the covers and instantly felt the absence of his suit. His first try to call out for Bruce ended in a coughing fit, and had him clutch at his chest. Somewhere, a door then clicked open and shut. Before he managed to open his eyes, the mattress dipped in, and cool fingers felt his forehead.  
  
“Stay still, you're safe.”  
Through the watering curtain between his lashes, Tony still managed to cast him the shadow of a glare.  
“Wh're we?”

“Italy.”

“... oh.”

Something got pressed against Tony's lips. A straw.

“Drink. But slow.”

Obedient, he did as he was told. The water held a faint tinge of citrus.  
When he drew back, the plastic material of the straw stuck to his chapped lips, and it stung.  
Bruce took the glass away but kept it in his hand.

“What happened?”

Exhausted from the minimal act of drinking, Tony pressed his head back into the pillow. “No more Avengers. We fucked the whole thing up. Everything.” Wayne regarded his mangled face in confusion and slight concern. “What do you mean?” The breath Stark tried to take was a shaky one. “Steve... he knew. He knew all along.” Against Tony's wish, a sheen of tears started to form in front of his eyes.

"What does he know?” The Gothamite's brows furrowed on their own accord. “My parents. They... the Winter Soldier. He... I saw a tape. And Steve... he never told me... would've never told me..” At that, Tony's voice turned into an unintelligible mixture of mumblings, sobbing and cursing. Bruce Wayne pressed his lips together, said nothing, and tried to coax him into sipping some more water.

Stark avoided his attempt by turning his head to the side. “Rhodey, he... God, Rhodey... he can't walk anymore, he's..." Outside, behind the wood-framed panorama windows to his left, acres of olive orchards stretched out in the sun. “You already know how Pepper's gone too, with Happy.” Tony's eyes were brimming with renewed tears. “I don't know I'm supposed to deal with all of this.”

For a while, they sat in silence and listened to the cheerful birds singing along to the bright, sunny day. When Tony had caught himself, Bruce made no more attempts to prompt him to drink and put the glass on the nightstand. “There is a way. There always is.” From underneath unkempt hair, Stark glanced up. “If you're the optimist of us now, then it must be really bad.”  
  
Bruce ran a hand through not quite shoulder-long hair. “That's the only reason you've contacted me. Because things are really bad.” The hurt in those clipped words made Tony lower his gaze to the blue-white patterned covers again. “I... I needed someone who understands. Not many left on this planet.” When his eyes wandered back up, he took in the other man's clean-shaven countenance.

“From the tan lines on your face, it's safe to say you haven't bothered to put on the cowl in weeks.” Bruce palmed the lighter skin of his exposed chin area. “I came here to never have to put it on again if you remember.” Tony stopped fingering the cut just above his upper lip and gave a quiet snort. “Yeah. You and quitting. How did that go? Just like that?” Wayne snorted and walked over to the window.

“Looks like you've proven me wrong today. Again.”  
With a sigh and a grunt, Stark shifted a little.  
“Means we're even. You've proven me wrong, too, after Peggy's funeral. Only I didn't listen.”

“What's new, Tony.”

Exasperation and fondness were an odd mixture, but one Bruce had always been able to pull off well. Stark shifted some more inches into a half-sitting position. “Who else knows I'm here?” "No one.” It sounded slightly offended. Tony regarded his profile for a few heartbeats. “I'm not the type to grow out my hair and beard and disappear from the face of the earth, Bruce.”

It prompted Wayne to turn back around to face him. He then leaned against the windowsill and crossed his arms. “I never said you were.” Tony nodded along. “I need to go back, show the world I'm not dead, take responsibility for the giant clusterfuck... yeah, all of those fun things.” His longtime companion glanced at a spot above his head on the wall. “You know I can't come with you.”

“Yeah.”

Tony Stark's voice was barely a whisper as he cast his eyes down and blinked several times in a row. Even if he was quick to force a smile upon his lips, all it took was a faint brush of fingers against his cheek to make him drop the facade. When Bruce Wayne leaned in, Tony caught a familiar whiff of his aftershave. He tried to inhale deep but had to stifle a dry cough. The caresses continued undeterred.

“But I can take care of you until then.”

 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Fix](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10708806) by [NegativNein](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NegativNein/pseuds/NegativNein)




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